PSA - DO NOT UPDATE to 3.35.0 on Android if using PaaK without a FOB

[DevSecOps]

You misunderstand my point. It is not to say "I told you so". My point is that everyone needs to learn from history instead of repeating it. I've lost track of the number of FP updates that have broken PaaK but it is way too many to ignore as an anomaly.

Everyone needs to do themselves and the forum a favor and recognize that Ford's implementation of PaaK is going to be broken for a very long time. They clearly have a serious design flaw that they cannot work around. Stop beating your head against the wall and do something useful about it: carry the damn fob and move on with your life.

PaaK has been working flawlessly for me since I updated the car. What this has taught me is to turn off auto update for the FP app and only update when I have a FOB present. It will not start carrying a FOB because of this.

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[ebeponyan]

PaaK restored after uninstalling/reinstalling FordPass, deleting my key in FP PaaK settings and setting PaaK back up as usual. Fob required, vehicle-initiated reset not required.

 

[BMT1071]

PaaK has been working flawlessly for me since I updated the car. What this has taught me is to turn off auto update for the FP app and only update when I have a FOB present. It will not start carrying a FOB because of this.

Just went out to my garage to check again and back up code functionality has returned. Still no PaaK, but at least I can start the car.

 

[DevSecOps]

PaaK restored after uninstalling/reinstalling FordPass, deleting my key in FP PaaK settings and setting PaaK back up as usual. Fob required, vehicle-initiated reset not required.

Thanks for this update. I was going to do this later when I'm home. I assumed it would work again after a reset. Did your backup work as well or just PaaK?

 

[Eraser]

@DevSecOps sorry to hear that, thanks for the heads up though. I normally jump whenever I see a new version (dumb I know). I wonder if it is just a coincidence that issue occurred after updating the FP app. As was mentioned the car software is independent of the FP app.

I have a Pixel 5 on Android 12. I normally would try this myself to see if I have the same issue, but since I'm at work I'll wait until I get home (no FOB on me either).

 

[BMT1071]

Like I said, I'm thinking that this has been an issue, but it went unnoticed because we had no reason to use the backup code. The phone can't change the car software.

This is reminiscent of the issue earlier this year where users were stranded due to back up codes being wiped on the servers. There was one forum user who ended up stuck when they were on a road trip, IIRC.

 

[SnBGC]

PaaK has been working flawlessly for me since I updated the car. What this has taught me is to turn off auto update for the FP app and only update when I have a FOB present. It will not start carrying a FOB because of this.

You could remove the battery from the fob and then hide it in the car somewhere super secure. Sort of like those magnetic "hide-a-key" boxes that we used to use for cars built in the 1900's. That might be a reasonable idea.

 

[BMT1071]

@DevSecOps sorry to hear that, thanks for the heads up though. I normally jump whenever I see a new version (dumb I know). I wonder if it is just a coincidence that issue occurred after updating the FP app. As was mentioned the car software is independent of the FP app.

I have a Pixel 5 on Android 12. I normally would try this myself to see if I have the same issue, but since I'm at work I'll wait until I get home (no FOB on me either).

Yes, FP and the car SW are independent. It has been my contention for several months that there is more going on with the Ford servers than seems like it should be necessary for daily operation of the car. I think you would be hard pressed to find a forum user that hasn't experienced a feature that always worked suddenly stopping for no apparent reason independent of any sort of update. Then just as suddenly it comes back. ? ? ?‍ ?‍

 

[SnBGC]

This is reminiscent of the issue earlier this year where users were stranded due to back up codes being wiped on the servers. There was one forum user who ended up stuck when they were on a road trip, IIRC.

I remember that too....
Around that same time I nearly got stuck down in an underground parking garage. I was going commando with PaaK and couldn't get it to unlock or start. Door code let me in but the backup code kept failing. I was on my last try and it finally worked. I am nearly 100% positive that I was entering it correctly. Not sure why it failed the first few times but I was glad it worked in the end and I was able to drive out of there.

 

[BMT1071]

Looks like reviews are starting to hit the play store with the same issue

Meanwhile, I still wait for an Uber 2 hours later ...

I just edited my old 1-star review to notify them of the PaaK issue.

 

[alexgorod]

Somewhere, in another thread, I was almost convinced that the backup code will work even after internet disappears, and the proof was a successful code use from an underground garage with absolutely no internet connection. Now I have my doubts back...

There is a huge difference in how someone with 40 years of software development thinks how it "should" be designed and how Ford actually did it. I know I'm old, so I'm trying not to be surprised every time. But I still am.

 

[SnBGC]

Somewhere, in another thread, I was almost convinced that the backup code will work even after internet disappears, and the proof was a successful code use from an underground garage with absolutely no internet connection. Now I have my doubts back...

There is a huge difference in how someone with 40 years of software development thinks how it "should" be designed and how Ford actually did it. I know I'm old, so I'm trying not to be surprised every time. But I still am.

That was probably me. I can test it again later. We are working on a project below ground with zero cell or wifi signal. Next time I drive down there, I will try and remember to run a test. I'll set my fob aside and see if PaaK works. Then I'll check it again with no FaaK or PaaK and see if just the start code works.

 

[RickMachE]

Yes, FP and the car SW are independent. It has been my contention for several months that there is more going on with the Ford servers than seems like it should be necessary for daily operation of the car. I think you would be hard pressed to find a forum user that hasn't experienced a feature that always worked suddenly stopping for no apparent reason independent of any sort of update. Then just as suddenly it comes back. ? ? ?‍ ?‍

This ^^^

This is absolutely the main issue here. Ford needs to get a 2nd FOB to every single owner that only has one (and reimburse owners, and dealers, that paid for a 2nd one) AND then ensure that they are using their best resources to not screw the pooch with every other update, as they've been doing lately. I think they also need to break apart the EV vehicles to a whole separate bank of servers, i.e. like with MyFordMobile. They seem to take the issue of screwing up our vehicles way, way too lightly.

This is why I have my FordPass on MANUAL UPDATE only.

 

[Eraser]

Yes, FP and the car SW are independent. It has been my contention for several months that there is more going on with the Ford servers than seems like it should be necessary for daily operation of the car. I think you would be hard pressed to find a forum user that hasn't experienced a feature that always worked suddenly stopping for no apparent reason independent of any sort of update. Then just as suddenly it comes back. ? ? ?‍ ?‍

Agreed. As a software developer I can say with some authority that software doesn't "just break". The issue already existed and the bug wasn't discovered yet, a software update was pushed, or something on the backend had a problem/changed (server, 3rd party API, security certificate, etc.).

Whatever the issue is here was probably on the backend, unless there was some software update that was pushed to the car that we're unaware of. I guess I'll have to play it smart and leave my FOB in a makeshift faraday bag in my glove box. So much for living in the future ?.

 

[alexgorod]

That was probably me. I can test it again later. We are working on a project below ground with zero cell or wifi signal. Next time I drive down there, I will try and remember to run a test. I'll set my fob aside and see if PaaK works. Then I'll check it again with no FaaK or PaaK and see if just the start code works.

Sounds like a good test, thank you!

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